wanderingvengeance asked: [Hey there. I've always loved Marlowe's Faustus (as you can see, I named this character after him), and for my IOP my question is the parallels between Conrad's Kurtz and Marlowe's Faustus. Just thought I'd drop you an ask to say that I love your blog, because I know it feels great when someone says something like that. So yes, keep up the good work. <3]

Thank you so very much for the compliments. We hope to get back on track now that we have an internet connection again. I hope we can continue to inspire and intrigue.

livebeyondordinary asked: I like you recent post about Faustus. I'm actually writing my final paper on it at this very moment. Your position that Mephastophilis working to sway Faustus' mind instead of attempting to trick him goes right along with my papers premise that Faustus' own intellect is the cause of his damnation. Lucifer and Mephastophilis recognize this and craft their trap with this in mind. I just started following you. I look forward to reading more of your posts.

Thank you very much for the follow. I do hope your final paper goes very well. The complexity of the story itself is such an interesting topic with so very many views. Feel free to submit your own theories and the like here. The co-mod and I will be delighted to share your views.

dottiff:

Sweet list of Demon sigils of summoning, am I right?

Speaking of demons, I had a riot of a time going through this comprehensive Wikipedia list of Japanese legendary creatures. There’s a lot of them, and they’re pretty wackadoo. Some of my favorites:

• Bakezōri - A straw sandal spirit that haunts when footware is mistreated.
• Aka Manto - A malicious spirit who haunts bathrooms and asks the cubicle occupants if they want red or blue paper.
• Ashinagatenaga - A monster duo, one with long legs and the other with long arms.
• Mokumokuren - a swarm of eyes that appear on a paper sliding door in an old building.
• And finally, the poor Nuppeppo - an animated lump of decaying human flesh.

Demon Sigils via Finn

The ultimate battle involving the most key element to draw the human intrigue. Humanity itself. Throughout the tale of the doctor we discover the many faults of the human psyche.

Within the story we discover the various levels of sin and, despite the thoughts of the church, the fact that all humans suffer most of the seven cardinal sins. Faustus is no exception. He is a glutton for all things he can not possess which throws him into envy. In this state he craves more and covets what he gains, thus greed. In greed he develops a vicious sense of pride. Though proud he is lazy and expects much to be done for him, sloth. Lust for knowledge and power as well as the physical gain made him vicious and careless. He struck down his enemy in a state of wrath.

Faust did, however, suffer great guilt and remorse, but remained ever faithful to his own needs and desires rather than the basis of his Lutheran faith. I find him to be rather complex to himself.

Yet is he really the star? In many reviews readers find that Mephistopheles, the cunning devil, is more a central focus than even poor Faustus. It is a devil who, though requiring his souls and corruption, longs for the grace of heaven again. In demonic and angelic lore Mephistopheles is seen as many things. He is written as the angel who aided God during creation, creating the waters and all living things within it. He is unnaturally strong and easily confused for the mighty devil Lucifer. Often he is seen as the right hand man, only on even ground with Samael who also longs for heaven.

Unlike so many devils who try to trick their victims into bargains he instead tries to sway Faustus’ mind. It seems in a form that the human is more a monster and the devil is more the man.

book-aesthete:

Goethe’s Faust. The Lansdowne poets edition. 

Translated by Bayard Taylor.

Printed between 1880-1890.

A 120 year old gilded pages, hardback edition of Goethe’s masterpiece.

Statuette by Jean-Jacques Feuchere.

Other Names / Variants: Mephistophiel Meaning of Name: “he who loves not the light”

Mephistopheles - The name, originally Hebrew, is derived from “mephiz” meaning destroyer, and “tophel” meaning liar.  Mephistopheles is a fallen archangel, one of the 7 great princes of Hell (one of the maskim, q.v.).  According to Cornelius Agrippa, Mephistopheles “stands under the planet Jupiter, his regent is name Zadkiel, who is an enthroned angel of the holy Jehovah.” [Rf. Dr. Faust’s Hollenzwang, a book of magic.]  In Seligmann, The History of Magic, Mephistopheles is “a subordinate demon, a fallen angel too, and sometimes admitted to the presence of God, but his is not the devil.”  In secular literature Mephistopheles is either a minion of Satan or a stand-in for Satan.  In Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus, he is a leading character, along with Lucifer, Beelzebub, and other devils (the angels in the play, good or evil, are not named).  In Goethe’s Faust it is Mephistopheles who, acting for his overlord Satan, seals the pact with Faust.  Mephistopheles is also a character in Busoni’s uncompleted opera Doktor Faust, which was heard for the 1st time in America in 1964.  Hegel the philosopher saw in Mephistopheles the symbol of “the negative principle.” (a)

MEPHISTOPHELES:  Mephistopheles is one of the DEMONS of hell according to Christian literature and legend.  He is mentioned in virtually every version of the FAUST story as the infernal agent who entices the scholar to sell his soul to the DEVIL.  Mephistopheles is a shape-shifter who assumes many forms to tempt Faust and who can grant many supernatural powers.  The fiend also takes Faust on a tour of hell to show the damned man what awaits him in the afterlife.  In Christopher Marlowe’s version of the Faust tragedy, the demon goes even further, stating that he is the very embodiment of hell.  When Faust asks how it is that the demon can leave the underworld, Mephistopheles responds, “Why, this is Hell, nor am I out of it.”

Mephistopheles has since become synonymous with the devil.  Popular music icon Sting mentions the demon in his 1983 hit “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” likening the evil spirit to a beautiful - but forbidden - lover who can bring only sorrow and angst to her obsessed admirer.  The host of hell has also inspired numerous plays, paintings, and works of music such as Arrigo Boito’s 1868 opera MEFISTOFELE. (o)

This article came from http://www.whiterosesgarden.com/Nature_of_Evil/Demons/List_of_Demons/L-M-N_contents/mephistopheles.htm

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